"Ogimaa, you had six years to get used to it. I'm seventeen and thought I knew all it was there to know about myself. I'm sorry if this is not easy for me to swallow." I pause " I don't even know if you're not having a psychotic episode and I'm getting convinced of something that is not real."
He starts to come back to the car and strip his clothes.
"Shit." I let out "what if someone sees?"
"If you don't believe it yourself, even with your family background... Do you think a tourist will believe his or her eyes?"
"No." I simply reply.
He was only with boxers shorts.
I don't think anybody is around here anyways. This is a pretty remote access to the woods and the car is really close to the trees.
"Okay. Here goes nothing." He declares "Take the car keys, my flower."
I run to his side and store the keys inside one of my many pockets, zipping it.
"Okay, just let me kiss you first."
I look up to him and kiss him hard, with my mouth a little bit opened.
I took him by surprise but quickly he mirrored my kiss.
"Don't be scared. I've done this enough times to do it whenever I want. It's all good. Step back a little."
I did as told.
The first minute nothing changed, he stood there, with his eyes closed.
Then I started to see fur growing everywhere. The nails started to get longer.
He undressed his boxers and closed the car door. I tried not to look at him, unzipping the pocket and clicking on the key to close the car. He hits the ground, placing his transforming hands on the dirty ground.
The face was by far the most disturbing part of the changing.
He groaned as his mouth ripped and his teeth spread, the skull stretch and the ears morphed.
The legs are adjusting and a tail appears.
He was right. It was fast.
I take time to evaluate the image in front of me.
Wow. He is huge. This is obviously not a common wolf.
I wonder if he allows me to touch him.
I take a step, then another, until I'm beside him.
"You're fur is so shiny. Almost black." I say quickly and place my hand on it.
He looks at me. I recognize the love in his, now red eyes. This wolf is my Ogi. How is this possible?
I mean, I saw it, I know it is possible... but I just can't believe it.
"Your fur is fluffy. " I smile.
He licks my arm.
"Yuh. Wolf saliva... let's go... okay?"
He starts walking, I followed.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I've been here a thousand times.
I grew up in the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, Gichi-onigamiing. All this area is covered with wildlife. Sure, there's a little part of it that is tourist attraction. That's the part that locals avoid.
High Falls of the Pigeon River is one of them. I went there when I was five. It's beautiful, but since then I explored the off the grid spots and trails. Most of them with Ogi.
When he was biped. As a quadruped, it's a first.
The flora and fauna are breathtaking, but you have to be patient, try to be as steel as possible and make absolute silence.
This huge black wolf is not silent. I hope we don't run into a bear.
"You're not going to hunt and eat a snowshoe hare. I love them. Remember when we saw one? They're amazing."
I was talking a lot, because he couldn't.
Let's be honest. It was weird. For me. He was visibly happy. Ran a lot, came back, ran around me. I was tired and the big bad wolf skipping.
"Okay. Let's go back. I'm tired and having a game later... " I sat.
He pushed me.
"No. We really have to go back. Come on."
He pushed me again.
I got up "what?" I face him.
"We're going..." I started walking to the car.
We finally got to the car.
"Wait... I give you the boxer shorts, right?"
He pokes me with the nose.
I open the car and get his clothes.
I hear him shape-shifting. I try not to look.
"Can you give me my clothes, please?" He asks me.
"Of couse. I'll give it to you. In a minute..." I chuckle.
"Ziigwan, please." He pleaded.
"Alright. I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you self-conscious." I look at his naked body.
"Not until now." He says serious as death.
"Take them." I give him the clothes and go wait inside the vehicle.
"It was strange for you..." he stated, shutting the car door.
"I admit that it was." I grip his arm.
"When it happens to you... It will be the best experience ever, you'll see."
"I don't know if I want to. I was a little scared." I confess.
"I caught a different scent, that's why I was pushing you. You didn't understand, right?" He asks me.
"Oh... right. What kind of scent?"
"Probably the same scent I smelled at the Diner." He declare.
"That's huge. Can you tell if It's male or female?"
"At the Diner I couldn't, but here I could. SHE peed." He laughs.
"She?" I gasp "do you know any female wolf?"
"Usually the only one is the Alpha's mate. Unless, someone scratch her, but the odds are slim."
"Are you saying that I will be the ONLY female wolf?"
"In this side of the state. Not the world... calm down. There other girls and women. Not many though." He shares.
"Oh. Good, we can found a little club." I roll my eyes.
"Actually, that would be a great idea." He smirks.
"Shut up. You must find who this woman is and fast. Do you realize that people are being attacked and murdered. Three and counting." I speak sadly.
"You know that my GrandPa is on top of this, right? He's dying but still pulling strings."
"What is that? Strings?"
"You know... friends, allies in politics and police force. I'm currently being thought to replace him when I turn 18." I says candidly.
"Why not your father?"
"There was a fight. I won."
"You fought your father... That's why..."
"I'm the next Alpha. Just four more months and I'll be 18..." he states.
"What is my part in all this?" I ask afraid of the answer.
"You don't need to know everything. You're the one I lean into. You're my pillar when I am the pillar of the pack and the tribe. You're everything to me, you always were, you always will be. I mean, I go to that school for you..." he chuckles.
"We have to graduate." I sigh.
Ogi dropped me off. I can still feel his lips on mine.
"Hello, parents. I'm home." I say when I don't see them at the kitchen.
"Hi daughter. We're watching a t.v. Come here." My dad yells from the living room.
"So, no lunch, today? I'm starving..." I complain.
"We were waiting for you." My mom says " We're all lunching at Silver Bay. Take a shower. I'll make you a sandwich to go. It's a two hours drive."
"Okay guys. I'm ready in 20 minutes." I go upstairs.
11:30
"I'll make it in 15'." I say to myself.
I was right. I just skipped the make-up and dressed plainly.
11:45
"I'm ready." I smile meeting my parents at the kitchen.
"Come on, speedy." My dad said.
The drive there was so boring. I swear I was already picking my nails out of boredom.
Me: What u doing?
Ogi: Grand Portage Tribal Council.
Me: That seams scary. I'm bored as hell.
Ogi: it's scary serious. Our future depend on this council. I'm bored too... at least I am learning a lot.
What are u doing?
Me: going to Silver Bay to the game. Remember that?
Ogi: I remember.
Me: Focus on our future. This game seams so pointless now. DAMN YOU!
Ogi: nimaanendam, I stayed away as much as I could.
Me: I know. miigwech.
Ogi: Okay. Voting time. Giminadan Gagiginonshiwan inzaagi'aa.
Me: that's my love, right?
Ogi: my love.
I really got to work hard on my ojibwe. I am rusty.
"Are we there yet?" I ask my parents.
"Five minutes." My dad says.
"gichi-manidoo miigwech" I acclaim.
"Wow. Thanking the great spirits. This drive was really that hard for you?" My mom face me.
"Yes!" I state "I've got too much on my plate right now to be still this long."
"Daughter, maybe we should talk about it." My dad says.
"Talk about what?" I ask him.
"The fact that you will be our ma'iingan ikwe."
"I'm going to be a woman wolf?" I ask confused.
"Yes. The woman wolf."
"Okay. Am I suppose to dress like a wolf? What colour should I choose? White?" I joke, though I am not really joking.
My mom squeeze my dad's hand.